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Vikings quarterback Brett Favre lies on the ground after being sacked by the Bears’ Corey Wootton during the second quarter of Monday’s game against Chicago. Favre left the game.

AP PHOTO

CHICAGO — Not long ago the Chicago Bears were all but buried, a team going nowhere under a pile of mounting losses.

Well, it turns out they are going somewhere. They’re headed back to the playoffs for the first time since their run to the 2007 Super Bowl.

A 40-14 romp outdoors at Minnesota on a cold and snowy Monday night did the trick, giving the Bears (10-4) their third NFC North title in six years.

And what a performance it was.

They shook off a brutal beating by New England the previous weekend and snapped a three-year playoff drought with a dominant effort that included Devin Hester’s NFL record 14th career kick return for a touchdown and three TD passes by Jay Cutler.

“This is just one step, it’s one thing we can knock off,” Cutler said.

It’s a huge step, one that was hard to envision not too long ago.

The Bears were a mess heading into their bye in late October, with three losses in four games after a 3-0 start. They have since turned things around in a big way.

The win over Minnesota was the sixth in seven games for a team that had appeared to be coming apart at the seams, with Cutler getting battered, the running game being ignored and the blockers providing little protection. The Bears were a mess heading into their off week. Now, they’ll try to lock down a first-round playoff bye in a home game against the New York Jets, and then wrap up the regular season at Green Bay.

“This is our first goal of the season: win the division and get in the playoffs,” tight end Greg Olsen said. “Now we’ve got to win out these last two games to give ourselves the best possibility of getting a first-round bye. We’ve got to do our part and get ready for a big-time playoff run.”

A win over the Jets on Sunday coupled with a loss by Philadelphia and a loss or tie by the New York Giants would give Chicago a first-round bye. That would be another huge step for a team that was aiming high after a busy offseason.

“We worked hard for this,” linebacker Lance Briggs said. “Anytime you can win a championship, whatever it is, division, world championship, it’s a cause for celebration.”

It comes nearly one year after Bears President Ted Phillips issued what many interpreted as a win-or-else mandate for coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo. Chicago had just gone 7-9, and he was adamant: The losing had to stop.

The Bears revamped their coaching staff, hiring Mike Martz as offensive coordinator and promoting Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator.

UP NEXT

N.Y. Jets at Bears

1 p.m. Sunday